Where are hearing loops used?

Hearing loops are commonplace in Europe. In England, everywhere from Westminster Abbey
to public transportation ticket windows are looped.

The U.S. has been slower to embrace hearing loops because, until recently, many hearing
aids were not equipped with telecoils. According to the American Academy of Audiology,
today almost 70% of all hearing aids dispensed in the U.S. have telecoils, and that number is
on the rise. As a result, there is increasing interest in hearing loops.

Proponents such as David G. Myers, PhD, a hearing-impaired professor of psychology at
Hope College in Michigan, the Hearing Loss Association of America, and the American Academy
of Audiology are leading the charge to loop more public spaces in the U.S.
Hearing loops are increasingly being embraced as a way to help hearing impaired people
enjoy clear sound in:

Theaters and performing arts centers

Places of worship

High school and college auditoriums

Court rooms and government chambers

Board rooms and large meeting rooms

Banquet and sports facilities

Ticket counters and information booths

Doctors’ offices and pharmacy counters

Drive thru and pick up windows

Elevators, trains and buses

Museum exhibits

In the Southeast, hearing loops are being installed in retirement communities, places of
worship and auditoriums. The public sector has been a bit slower to embrace the technology
than in other parts of the country, but change is coming.